A wish tree or wishing tree was popular in early times and some enjoy this tradition today. Trees hold special status in the cosmology of nature spirits. Overall trees are predominantly feminine in quality, though some like the oak and walnut have strong masculine attributes.
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The spirit of Yule is fortunate for a wish tree. It can be created any time of year, such as the Spring Equinox, a popular and prosperous time for trees in general; or May Day on the first of May. In German and other paganism, all objects of nature have a spirit, or are themselves spirits, capable of interacting with humans on some level.
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A tree symbolizes life, growth, health, protection, abundance, prosperity, longevity, seasons or cycles of life. Trees cultivate a complex interactive ecology of birds, small mammals, frogs, insects, flora, mosses, mushrooms, lichen and other organisms.
Wish Trees, Wishing Trees
Wish trees exist throughout the world. Some are part of the local culture and attract tourists, such as the Lam Tsuen wishing trees in Hong Kong. The Clootie trees of Ireland are festooned with ribbons and bits of colored cloth, each representing a wish, desire or blessing of luck.
Trees found near wells are considered lucky, perhaps linked to the Wishing Well tradition. A coin placed on or in the tree or tossed into the well returns a blessing from the spirits. Wishing wells are also connected to nixies.
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Coin trees were popular in the UK, especially Scotland. A person would hammer a coin into a stump or tree, ideally using a piece of limestone as hammer. Over the ages the tradition continued. In 2019 the practice was so popular the National Trust for Scotland said:
"For many years people have hammered coins into tree stumps and trunks as some sort of votive offering to make a wish. On our woodland properties we could tolerate it as long as it was on a small-scale, but now it seems to have taken off as a ‘fashionable’ thing to do and is out of control."
In a practice continued today, especially in drinking establishments, it's lucky to thrust a coin into a split or crack of a wooden beam. In Victorian England of the 19th century, Prince Albert brought Christmas trees to the seasonal festivities. The Christmas tree is a Tannenbaum, literally fir tree, decorated with baked goods, small gifts, ornaments and candles.
Watered daily, the tree stays green and fresh to cast fragrance throughout the house. Indoors, fir trees are preferred as Yule and Christmas trees because most of the needles cling to the branches, unlike spruce and pine who shed their needles when dry.
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How to Decorate the Wish Tree
Before the Christmas tree, people brought evergreen boughs into the house for Yule and adorned them with decorations such as candles, apples, other fruit and sweetmeats / candy. Candy canes became part of Christmas festivities in the 17th century.
Ribbons or bits of fabric tied to the branches represented wishes. Before paper and mass literacy people also fashioned symbols, carved marks on wish sticks or drew them on bark or parchment and hung them from the tree. Today it's easy to write out wishes and attach them to the branches with ribbon or yarn, or incorporate them into the festive Tannenbaum.
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The wishing tree is dedicated to Nature and the Mother Goddess. Trees have various qualities.
Goddess Wishing Tree Qualities
Evergreens represent inner strength, hope and longevity. Goddess trees include birch, fir, beech, elm, apple and other fruit trees, willow, hazel, rowan, linden and ash. Ash is specifically linked to warrior qualities, being a favorite wood for spear shafts, bows and arrows, but the spirit of the Ash tree can be hostile. Elderberry and apple are most associated with German goddess Frau Holle.
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Goddess Tree Meanings
This isn't a comprehensive list. Goddess Trees include:
Apple - good health, future happiness, love, prosperity
Ash - healing, magic, life, personal protection
Banyan - growth, strength, self-awareness, renewal
Beech - protection, nurturing, knowledge, healing
Birch - beginnings, renewal, purification, divinity
Elm - inner strength, wisdom, melancholy, peace
Elderberry - harmony, dreams, remembrance, protection of home
Eucalyptus - strength, abundance, protection, purification
Fig - wisdom, success, abundance, enlightenment
Fir (Tannenbaum) - determination, honesty, endurance, hope
Hazel - fertility, inspiration, healing, protection from curses
Linden - love, fertility, peace, home protection
Rowan - courage, wisdom, protection from evil, cycles
Willow - fertility, new life, overcoming challenges, adaptation
Spirit of the Wishing Tree
Any tree can be a wish tree, a single branch in a vase can be a wish tree, as trees and nature overall are ruled by goddess energy. A wreath also carries wish fulfillment abilities and the shape is a containment vessel for positive vibes. Certain trees will stand out because their specific type of magic works with one's daily life.
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If the Wish Tree is for Yule, take it down or remove the wishes at the end of the Twelve Days, on Jan 5-6. Throw the wishes onto the community bonfire or Yule log so the smoke can carry messages near and far.
No community bonfire or Yule log? A symbolic burning is fine. Create purifying smoke with a smudge stick or use a no-smoke method - transfer wish energy into dry leaves or pine needles and scatter them to the wind. Or mix them with wood ash, take them out and use the ash to fertilize the roots of the tree. Magic happens as the tree buds.
The wish tree can also be a permanent addition to the yard and wishes left on the branches indefinitely. Times have changed, but the spirit of the wishing tree lives on.
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